A keratoancanthoma occurs when cells
in a hair follicle do not grow normally. The growth may be triggered by a minor
skin injury in an area that previously had suffered sun damage. Ultraviolet
radiation from sun exposure is the biggest risk factor in keratoacanthomas.
A keratoacanthoma usually will
appear on sun-damaged skin as a thick growth that has a central crusted plug.
Keratoacanthomas appear most often
in people who are over the age of 60 and they are considered a low-grade skin
cancer.
- What Are the Symptoms of a Keratoacanthoma?
Keratoacanthomas
are rapidly growing, red, dome-shaped bumps with central craters. Some
keratoacanthomas can grow to extremely large sizes, occasionally 1 to 3 inches
in diameter.
How Are Keratoacanthomas Treated?
Keratoacanthomas
can be removed by:
- Cryotherapy (freezing the growth with liquid nitrogen)
- Curettage (scraping and burning off the growth)
- Surgical removal
- Injection of a cancer drug directly into the lesion
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